A Darker Shade Of Sunrise
by Seleina Bellamy
Summary: After a bit of a crazy night out Killian and Belle get hooked on each other, but everything takes a turn for the worst when the school year starts again (Captain beauty, Teacher/Student, Smut)
1. Chapter 1

Getting drinks as an average height girl isn't that hard. You stand up straighter, push your breasts up in your low cut top and hope the bartender will notice you first. I'm out of luck this time.

The bartenders are busy serving the huge crowd gathered around the bar. The girl gives me and all the other girls a dirty look. She throws a dishcloth at her fellow bartender who is shamelessly flirting with a good looking costumer. He glares at her and looks back apologetically at the tall guy he was hitting on.

I get pressed further into the counter by the group and both bartenders keep on not noticing me. Finally the female bartender sees me. "What would you like ?" she manages to say coily over the blaring music. Is she flirting with me? I'm about to answer when a deep voice cuts in.

I look up to be met by blue eyes that seem strangely purple in the light of the club."What should I get you?" the guy asks. He is absolutely stunning. He has dark hair and a strong, stubbly jawline. He arches a brow.

Having conversations is hard when the only way you can communicate is by yelling."You are buying me a drink ?" I ask crossing my arms over my chest. "That's my intention" he answers with an amused glint in his eyes. "Are you going to drug me?" He laughs scanning the space above my head."That's not my intention." I start weighing of my options. Either he drugs me and drags me away or he just buys me a drink. I only see positives: If he kidnaps me I won't have to go to school next week... "Tequila sunrise."

He looks over at the bartender who glares at me one more time and quickly mixes the orange juice, tequila and grenadine. She hands the drink over to the guy who then hands it to me. "Not drugged?" I ask while I take the straw between my fingers. "Not drugged." I start sipping my drink as I turn away from him. He follows me after paying for the cocktail. I find an empty spot near the wall.

"I'm Killian." He says above the music as he stretches his hand towards me. "Belle" I say as I keep on drinking. He nods awkwardly as he takes his hand back. "So…" it is strange to see someone so beautiful seem so uncomfortable. I almost laugh at his awkwardness and then immediately scold myself for almost doing so.

Ruby had decided that it wasn't just a good idea to go clubbing tonight and put our fake ID's to good use, but to have a little pre-party drink on the curb. This consisted of half a bottle of Passoã we had left from last time's party. That combined with the cocktail I was slurping up way too fast was making my head fuzzy. I'm drunk, just a bit tipsy. Tipsy enough to take drink from a stranger.

"You come here often?" Now, with an empty glass in hand, I laugh. "That's your pick-up line?". Somehow me laughing in his face makes him seem more relaxed. "Yes." He lets out a nervous chuckle. "You from around here?" I ask, swirling my ice-cubes in my empty glass. "Just moved here actually. You ?" Do I say the truth? My ID says I live here so… "Yep." I smack the 'p' a bit to hard.

I take a full look at Killian. He is broad-shouldered and narrow hipped. He is taller than me and really sexy. He smiles at me and as I bite my lip I realise I had been smiling at his chest. His blue eyes sparkle mischievously when he smiles. "So what is it that you do?" he asks me. "I read and drink questionable cocktails. " I say as I raise my glass for emphasis. "You aren't here by yourself are you?" He asks. "That sounds like something someone who has just spiked my drink would say." I say theatrically flinching. "No I'm not by myself." I decide that the safest thing to do is let my eyes wander across the room instead of his body.

"Here with your boyfriend?" He asks, awkwardly shoving his hands in his pockets. "No. With my girlfriend." I can't help but laugh at the shocked expression on his face. "Oh! I'm… sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Just kidding" I say. I step over to the bar again and place my glass on the counter. When I turn around I see his eyes snap up from my bum to my face. I hold his stare with arched eyebrows and then let my eyes wander once more.

My eyes fall on the crowd of twisting bodies on the dancefloor. Killian follows my eyes. I start hearing the music again which I had droned out since I met Killian. I feel my feet moving and my hips swaying as I move towards the dancefloor. I turn as I pass Killian and keep looking him in the eye as I dance. He comes to me.

When he is close enough to me I turn around and throw my curls to the side. I feel his warmth at my back and then a tentative hand on my hip. I look behind me and see him smiling wolfishly at me.

I push my ass back so it hits him. His other hand finds its place on my other hip and then we start moving. I gyrate my hips towards him as his hands trail my body. We sway with our bodies pressed close together. I'm feeling brave tonight. I mentally thank Ruby for the Passoã.

I feel his fingers digging into my hip again so I turn around again with our bodies still pressed flush against each other. I keep looking at his eyes until I realise how nice lips he has. Suddenly the space between our mouths closes as I feel the music fall away once more.

Kisses in movies and books always seem so perfect. Clean even. Kisses are sloppy, wet sometimes terrible, but kissing Killian feels great. His lips lock over mine. Softly they move against my own as my hands find their way into his hair. His tongue touches my bottom lip and I let my own slip into his mouth. I feel his hands leave a trail of lightning down my spine, to my waist, until they are both on my ass. I deepen the kiss with a gasp and tighten my grip on his hair. He sucks on my bottom lip as he lightly squeezes my bum.

He breaks the kiss, but doesn't remove his hands. I smile at him and lean in again. We stand like that for a while: kissing and touching and deepening our kisses with each stroke. I step away this time and take his hand as I lead him away from the dancefloor into an empty booth.

I sit us down. He is looking intently at my lips. I lick them for show and he kisses me again. He cups my face this time and grasps my hair at the nape of my neck. My hands are on his broad chest and I can feel the tension in his muscles beneath my fingers. I push him so he is sitting upright and I straddle him. "I don't usually do this" he breathes as he brushes my lips with his thumb. "Neither do I" I whisper to him as I kiss him again.

This kiss is different, for this time I can't concentrate on his lips. I can feel his slide down my back, to my ass and then to my thighs. I let my hands slide down to his abdomen. His muscles tense. His hands travel up higher and he cups me with his hand. I break the kiss to let out a moan.

I start fidgeting with his belt-buckle as he massages me. It feels so good that my hands are shaking. I slip my hand into his pants and stroke his hard length through his underwear. He grunts and slips a finger into my panties to touch my clit. His other hand now moves to cup my breast and rubs my hardened time I moan against his lips.

When I'm about to pull out his length. Ruby walks in with a handsome man at her arm. "Belle?" she asks, her face shocked and amused. I unstradle Killian and I feel a blush creeping over my face. He moves to close his pants as quickly as he can. "Sorry for interrupting sweety, but we have to leave." Ruby says smiling as her eyes go from Killian to me, to his crotch.

I get up and adjust my skirt. I look back at Killian. It's my turn to smile awkwardly. "Nice meeting you." I say. "Nice meeting you? Is that the best you can do, Belle?" I mentally scold myself. "Wait." Killian says a s he grabs my wrist and stands up.

"Do you eh… want my number?" I suddenly forget about Ruby and her new 'friend'. "Sure." I smile up at him. I hand him my phone and he quickly types in his number. "Thanks." I say as I put my phone in the pocket of my jean skirt. "Will I get yours?" He calls after me as I walk towards Ruby. "Maybe." I call back over my shoulder. We pass Ruby's guy, who winks at her and then walks towards Killian.

Back in the car Ruby drives since I have had way too much to drink and she had managed to stay sober. "I just can't believe it" she laughs. "You were seriously were about to get jiggy with Mr. Sexy Jaw." "Stop calling him that" I say as I slap her on her thigh. She giggles at that.

"How about you and that guy?" I ask. "Well… I actually did get jiggy with him". We laugh at that until we pass the 'Welcome to Storybrooke' sign.

Later that night, after sneaking back into Ruby's housen I keep looking at Killian's number. In a surge of courage I sent him one word: Yes.

 **Thank you so much for reading!**

 **Two disclaimers.**

 **1\. I don't own Once upon a time !**

 **2\. The idea from this story doesn't come from me. It comes from another story from another fandom. This other story was sadly deleted by either or the author her/himself. I love that fic and I was very sad when it suddenly disappeared. I don't know the author's name. If I find out I'll let you know :)**

 **Thanks again and 'till the next update xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

The week before school starts Granny's diner is incredibly empty. There are of course the usual truckers and happy families that pull in from the highway, but all of the young school-kids that usually hang out around here are still enjoying their last drama-free week. Ruby and I have been working here for three summers. Granny Lucas thought it was a good idea since we hung out around here during summer anyway. We were absolutely psyched.

It has been three days since we went to the club. Ruby has been texting back and forth with the guy she hooked up with, whose name is Victor.

The morning after I woke up only slightly hungover. I had to run home to get changed and go to work. Killian had not replied to my text, which I honestly didn't blame him for. I am extremely annoying both drunk and sober and I have a tendency to text stupid things such as "yes" to a random guy's number at 4am.

Even though I wasn't exactly expecting to hear from him again I felt sort of disappointed. At least I can console myself with the fact that I almost banged an incredibly good looking guy.

Later that day I received a text from him: "I'm all for mystery and such, but receiving a 'yes' at 4 in the morning from an unknown number is quite odd." I didn't know what struck me the most: that he replied or that he bothered to write full sentences. I decided that, to avoid further embarrassment, I would not answer.

After my shift at Granny's I received another text: "I'm sorry, I think this might be a wrong number. Sorry for bothering you." It made me laugh. "I wouldn't like to shatter the illusion." I sent back. He doesn't reply after that and I'm glad he doesn't.

Because of the slow business our shifts ends at eleven today. It is Ruby's turn to lock up, but I'm probably going to stay behind and help. I never am really in a hurry to get home.

I live together with my dad. He is okay to live with, but I won't miss having to take care of him when I go to college. He's not sick or anything, just very clingy.

When I come up to the diner I don't see Ruby's car. I park my bike behind the diner, beside the dumpster, where no one will bother to steal it. I drop of my bag and coat in my locker. I'm already wearing my light blue uniform. I put my hair up in a bun and text Ruby to make sure she hasn't overslept.

Granny is already in the kitchen. "Good morning, Granny" I say as I pass through the swing doors "Morning, sweetheart" She says as she looks up at me through her glasses. "Ruby?"

"I don't know." I say as I tighten my apron. "I swear to God if that girl keeps on being late…" I leave her to work and go into the diner.

After taking the chairs of the tables and pulling up the blinds, I open up the diner. Ruby arrives an hour late. There are already some orders for breakfast that Granny and I are working on.

She kisses me on the cheek. "I hope she wasn't too mad." I say. "Nah." She says taking a tray.

We've divided the diner into two sections. Ruby does the left and I do the right. There are the regulars whose orders we have memorized and prepared already Lunchtime is busy as well so we eat around four and Ruby reminds me to take my medication even-though I do not need reminding. By six the diner is filling up again.

I'm just talking to a young couple about the best places to hike when Ruby grabs me by the elbow. "Do you have a minute?" She doesn't wait for me to answer and drags me into the kitchen.

"He's here!" "Who is..." "Victor! The guy from the club. He is here sitting in the booth by the window." I can tell she is starting to panic. "Ow." I say " Ow indeed." I exhale. We stand there in silence for a few seconds. She is still gripping my elbow. "You want me to take his order?" I'm going into mama bear mode. "No." She says "He will see me and he is in my section. I'm not about to lose my job because of a guy." I am worried, but take a step back. "Okay."

I watch her while she goes over to his booth. He looks shocked to see her, but falls into what seems an easy conversation with her almost immediately. I know Ruby's body language well enough to know she is flirting with him so I go back to making chocolate milkshakes for the hiking couple.

She goes back to his table only to bring his his food and clear of his plates. I'm putting pickles on a burger when she comes into the kitchen. "Well?" I ask. "I'm meeting him after work." " To do what?" I ask wiggling my eyebrows. She gives me a wolfish grin. "You really wanna know ?" "Girls! Less talking more waitressing!" Granny shouts from the back of the kitchen. "Yes, Granny!" We yell back.

Victor leaves when the last customer does. I see him smile at her and I think I know what Ruby will be doing tonight. Better said: who she'll be doing. Granny leaves and we clean up. I help her lock up and make her promise for about a hundred times that she will be safe and will have the police on speed dial.

Victor is waiting at the front of the diner. "'Bout time." he says while looking Ruby over. He looks over to me. "Belle, wasn't it ?" he asks. "Yeah…" I look over to Ruby who also seems surprised that he knows my name. "I'm a friend of Killian." "Ow." I can't really come up with something else to say. "By the way. Did you sent him a text?" Ruby snorts and I shoot daggers at her. "Maybe. Why?" he chuckles. "I just think he'll be happy to have your number " "That did not sound creepy at all." I say crossing my arms over my chest. "Take it as a compliment. He likes you." I'm about to tell him that I don't need that validation when my phone rings.

I pick up just in time. "Hello."I say "Belle? Are you on your way home already? It's pretty dark." It's Dad. "Yeah I'm going home right now. Ruby's driving me." Lying to Dad comes naturally, but feels strange to do when there are people listening. "I'll be home in half an hour. Don't wait up." "Good. Be careful." "Okay, bye." I end the call. "I'll see you tomorrow." I tell Ruby and kiss her on the cheek.

I go to the back and get my bike. "Text me when you get home." Ruby tells me when I pass them. "You too." I say shooting Victor a wary glance. "Nice seeing you!" He yells at me as I drive away. I don't answer.

The house is dark when I get home. I text Ruby and then think about texting someone else, but then decide not to.

xXXxxXXx

The next couple of days fly by in a monotonous blur of work, sleep and endless tales of Ruby's escapades with Victor. Victor turns out to be a medical student and is twenty-three years old. That makes him five years older than Ruby.

Ruby's eighteen, but is still in high-school because of family issues. Her parents had a rather rough divorce when she was five which made her get into school a year late. She ended up living with Granny and hardly talking to either parent.

Granny's is closed Sunday morning so I decide to sleep in. School is starting tomorrow which means this might be the last time in a long while I'll get some decent sleep. I get woken up by my phone vibrating. Through blurry eyes I read:"Please don't accuse me of being a stalker now!" It is someone by the name of 'Mister sexy jaw'. Ruby has been messing with my phone again. I'm wide awake now. It's Killian.

What. The. Fuck I decide that whatever I am going to send, I will end up messing up anyway. "I'm not promising anything." I wait for the handles on the clock to change from five past ten to ten past, then I hit send.

After two minutes of waiting for a reply I decide on showering instead of waiting. When I'm done I look at my phone. "Too bad. I thought I might get on your good side." " _You should be on the right side of the phone and finish what you started last Saturday."_ Instead of sending that I opt for: " You can keep on trying." I hit send and then add: "But that doesn't mean you'll succeed."

"I'll do my best then." I'm sitting on my bed in a towel with water dripping onto my unmade bed, but I can't be bothered. "Good."

"Could I do this in person or will all this be behind a screen? I assure you my presence is even more baffling face to face." " _Don't worry I remember that."_ He is getting ballsy. "Yep." I send "You are definitely both a stalker and a kidnapper."

"Apart from that I won't have a lot of time the coming weeks, because of school." "Bummer. What are you studying?" It suddenly dawns upon me that he thinks I'm in college. Not high-school. Should I tell him I'm seventeen or just go with this? "Literature" It's only half a lie. I'm taking extracurricular English this year and I am planning to study English lit after school.

It would be best if he would stop asking questions now. "It was nice talking to you, but I need to get to work. Bye" Again it is only half a lie: I have to be at Granny's in an hour. "Bye."

It's hard to concentrate on the road on my way to work, because I can't stop thinking about the possibility of seeing Mister sexy jaw again.

 **First of all Thank you for reading !**

 **Thank you to the lovely people who followed and reviewed.**

 **Also a big thank you to whoever added me to the 'Let me tell you a story'- community!**

 **Thanks again and 'till the next update xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

There is something about the first day of school. Each year I know nothing is going to change, each year everything is going to water down into the same pointless dramas. But still each year the morning I wake up I think to myself: This year will be different.

Maybe I might be right this time around. It's my last year of high school. My last year of being stuck with these people I don't care about and the last I year I have to worry about living with Dad.

All I have to do is get through the next few months and then I'm leaving to New York with Ruby. We have been looking forward to this since we were fourteen. We can finally see it now. A few more months, just a few more months...

It's quite funny when you think how easy it is to fall back into the same routine: get out of bed, shower, make bed, get dressed, have breakfast, have second thoughts about outfit, decide not to care, take bag and leave.

Before pushing my bike out of the door I look at my reflection in the mirror one last time. When I tuck my shirts into my skirts they always flow out to much at the back. I readjust the white collared blouse and make sure it hasn't made my pleated skirt look bumpy from behind.

I can get to school in twenty minutes, but since I am wearing a skirt and it's a bit windy out I cycle a bit slower than usual. I love Storybrooke in the summer, especially in the mornings. I love the way the sun colors the trees that line the streets and the way everything seems peaceful for a few minutes.

I feel a familiar sense of dread when I see the school building, but I push it down again. Honestly, I don't hate school. I dislike the grading system and I must admit that I am not exactly great friends with a lot of my peers, but that doesn't make me hate school. I love learning. Everytime I say that Ruby rolls her eyes and scoffs at me, but it is the truth.

The parking lot in front of the building is already pretty full. I quickly cycle to the back where I can park my bike. When I'm locking up my bike I see movement in the corner of my eye. "How are you doing, beautiful?" I roll my eyes behind the curtain of my curls. "Hello, Gaston." I say as politely as I can manage.

I turn to go back onto the parking lot when he leans his arm against the wall. "You missed me?" I don't reply and try getting around him. "You did didn't you! Of course you did! Admit it!" I keep on trying to go around him. "Well, Gaston, I can't exactly say I did." I say as I duck under his arm.

As I walk away he calls after me: "Don't bother coming to me if you get hurt, sweet-stuff!" "Don't worry I won't." I mumble under my breath.

Gaston is the captain of the football team and the school's biggest heart-throb. He is idolized by his classmates and teachers. I once tried talking to him, but most conversations ended up with him talking about himself or all the girls he had slept with.

It makes me quite sad. A thing I have learned over the past few years is that everyone here does their best to distract everyone else from their flaws, including myself. I think Gaston emphasizes all of his amazing 'assets' to feel less insecure. Or he can also just do it because he's a jerk. I guess we'll never know.

I see Ruby's car drive up. She gets out of the car and waves at me. Will comes out of the car too. Will Scarlet moved to Storybrooke two years ago and since he lived across from Ruby they started carpooling together. He is a very kind and funny guy and hangs out with us from time to time, but spends most of his time with Robin, who moved here around the same time as Will did.

"Morning." Ruby says unusually happy and kisses me on the cheek. "Lesbians." A guy passing us says. Ruby rolls her eyes at him. "Hey, Will!" I say "How was England?"

"Wet." he laughs, "And I missed my girls way too much." he says hooking his arms around Ruby and mine's neck. "I'm glad to see you too, Will." I smile up at him.

We start walking towards the building like this. Will's arms wrapped around our shoulders as we laugh at all of the stupid adventures he went on whilst visiting his grandmother. The school bell rings. "I'll tell you guys more about my sheep-hay adventures another time." He waves as he jogs away to catch up with Robin.

"You are unusually cheerful." I say as we walk to Biology. Ruby and I have most classes together and the ones where I'm not with her I am with Will. At least I won't have to stress over lab partners this year.

"You make it sound as if you're not happy for me." She teases as we enter class. We sit down at a table by the window. "I am, but I'm also wondering why you're in such a good mood." I say. Ruby giggles: "Nothing your innocent ears should hear."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I say as I look at my friend who is twisting her long, brown hair around her finger. "Nothing. I just had a very interesting phone call this morning. That's all…" "With who? Victor?" She laughs again.

"You had phone sex on the first day of school? Seriously, Ruby?" I whisper at her. She just laughs again. "I told you you didn't want to know." I must admit, her smile is contagious.

Biology and trigonometry pass by in a blur. I keep hearing Ruby out about the, apparently, mind blowing phone sex she had with Victor.

We have French next. We were all obliged to choose a foreign language, so, since my last name is literally French, I thought it would be fun to follow. Will followed and regretted his decision immediately. Turns out French grammar has more exceptions than rules and is a pain in the ass to learn, but at least we have break after French.

During break we sit at the back of the school grounds. Everyone seems ecstatic to see their friends again. We lay in the sun and talk about something else that isn't Ruby's sex-life. "I heard Marie talk about our new English teacher earlier. Apparently he's _really_ hot." Ruby says. "Try as much as you want, but I will forever miss Peabody." I answer.

Mister Peabody was my favorite teacher ever. Sure, he was a bit boring at times, but he was a great teacher that saw his students as people, not as grades.

"Marie can say what she wants, but Swan will forever be the hottest teacher ever." Will says dreamily. Emma Swan is our chemistry teacher. "I'll have to see for myself first." Ruby says checking her phone for the dozenth time.

"Are you kidding?" Will says pulling at the grass. "She is smart, sexy, funny,... I mean the list goes on!" Will quickly glances at me and blushes. Ruby laughs as she gets up. "Whatever you say, Romeo." Will blushes deeper and gets up after Ruby does. He then pulls me up by the hand.

"We have chemistry together right?" I ask as I shove my feet into my oxford flats. "Uh...Yes I think so." Will stutters as Ruby gets a laughing fit. I decide not to ask what was so funny.

Will mutters something about needing to go to his locker and promises to catch up with me later. I can see that the tips of his ears are still red.

"He's got such a crush on you!" Ruby laughs when Will is gone. "Stop being ridiculous and concentrate on your own love life." I answer as I glance at her phone which is buzzing again.

"I'll see you at lunch!" I say as I go to my chemistry class. "Yes, bye." Ruby says as she smiles at her phone screen. I can't help but roll my eyes.

It's not like Ruby to get invested in guys. She is more of a one-night stand type of person, but apparently Victor is different. I'm not sure. I can never tell in which direction Ruby will be heading.

Chemistry flies by. Will is right: Miss Swan is a great teacher. Her classes always seem over right after they start. She makes very abstract concepts seem a lot clearer and makes them fun. I like her and so does Will. It is quite funny seeing him stutter around her, but then again most of the boys do.

Physics on the other hand were a bit more of a slow burn. Adam Gold, our teacher, is a bit rough and ill tempered. Everyone hates him: students and teachers alike. I think he might be a nice person if you get to know him, but I'm not willing to find out. I also might be biased, because he is not excessively mean to me, which is strange.

Lunch break ends too quickly. I laughed so much I choked on a grape twice. Robin had challenged Will to an accent challenge. A competition in which Anton tells them accents and Ruby and I have to guess which accent it is. Everything was going fine until they had to do an Australian accent. It went downhill from there.

My Dad is from Australia, but my accent has almost completely faded. Still their imitations were borderline-insulting.

Ruby has Spanish now, but Will is in the same class as me for English. I'm excited about English. It's my favorite subject. I hope I'll get along with this new teacher, since I have three hours of extracurricular English with him as well.

The class is already pretty full. I notice the first two rows are occupied by only girls. I'd forgotten about the gossip Ruby had heard. I look to the blackboard.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit_

At front of the class, facing the board is the new teacher. He has raven black hair and a clean-shaven angular jawline. I can see the strong muscles of his forearms which are framed by the rolled up sleeves of his button-up shirt. Killian.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit_

I run to the back of the class to see all seats are taken so I opt for the desk on the fourth row. Will comes in and sits on the other side of the room with Robin.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit_

I'm sitting here hoping that this is a nightmare. That I'm making things up or that I have mixed up my new teacher with him.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

When the last student enters the room he turns to us and smiles. All I can see is the same smile colored purple because of the lights in the club, right before he kisses me.

"Hello, everyone! My name is Killian Jones and I will be you English teacher for the coming school year." He is scanning the class so I hide behind my hair and start weighing my options. He doesn't know my full name nor my last name so maybe he will never notice I'm even here.

"Since I don't know you all that well I suggest you introduce yourself. You know: Your name, age, hobbies,... Those type of things."

 _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

He walks towards the other side of the room. I can hear two girls sitting in front of me saying something among the lines of "That ass though." Mary-Margaret is first, but I can't concentrate on what anyone is saying. All I can do is count the amount of people before it is my turn to stand up and face Killian.

He has walked back to his desk and is now half-sitting on it. Nodding and laughing at the occasional nervous student. Suddenly I see that I'm next.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

I stand up, my hair covering my face. "My name is Isabelle French, but I usually go by Belle. I am seventeen years old and I like reading." I keep my eyes on my desk. "Could you repeat that please, love? I didn't quite hear you…" I look up and I can see how his encouraging smile melts away like snow in the sun.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

"My name is Isabelle French" I repeat a bit more forcefully now. "but I usually go by Belle. I am seventeen years old and I like reading." "Shit." everyone's head snaps to Killian. He quickly regains his composure.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

I sit down again and the rest of the class present itself. I keep my eyes on my desk. Still, I can feel his eyes on me from time to time. "Nice to meet you all!" His voice seems shaky. "Mary- Margaret could you quickly remind me what it is you learned last year?"

 _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

I can't think straight and everything seems fuzzy. I suddenly remember I haven't taken my pills at lunch. I'm starting to panic. But before I can get worse, Killian dismisses us.

I stand up as casually fast as I can. _I need air. I can't breathe._ I'm almost at the door.

"Could everyone following extracurricular English please stay behind for a minute, please." I stop dead in my tracks and lean against one of the desks on the front row. I notice I'm the only one staying behind then I remember that Josh, the guy that I took extra English with, had dropped out.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

When everyone is gone we remain silent. The only thing I can concentrate on right now is the pattern on the floor tiles.

 _I should say something._ "Close the door." I look up for the first time. He is leaning on his desk, not looking at me. On wobbly legs I do as he asks me to.

When the door clicks into place he bursts. "What the fuck is this ?" His head snaps up. His beautiful face is red and I can see the veins in his neck standing out, his hands gripping the desk.

"Is this your idea of a fucking joke. What the fuck!" All I can do is stand there and watch as he goes on. "Who the fuck are you really? I cannot fucking believe this! Did you have this fucking planned out?" he shouts.

He stands there looking at me with disgust in his eyes and breathing heavily. I'm starting to get mad now. "Fuck you di-!" he slams his fist on the desk.

"Are you done accusing me of things I have nothing to do with?" I snap, my voice unexpectedly strong. He just keeps staring at me as the red starts seeping from his face. "If you don't mind I got other classes to attend to."I don't wait for his answer as I slam the door behind me.

 **Thank you for reading !**

 **A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited !**

 **Thanks again and 'till the next update xxx**


	4. Chapter 4

It has been a week since school started again. And, boy, was I right! This year will be different. This will be the year where I _actually_ hate getting up to go to school and this will be the year I hate English.

After my discussion with Killian I only managed to send an "S" to Ruby. She luckily understood and was in the girls-restroom in an instant. I was already there. Crying, naturally.

"What happened? Did you take your meds?" between sobs I explained. She sat next to me on the cold tiles and put her arms around my shoulders. She shushed me until I calmed down and made drink some water and have my medications.

"Here's what we're going to do." She said as she took my face between her hands. "We're going to get you cleaned up and go to the next class. After school I'll drive you home." "But my bike…" I protested. "It fits in the trunk. Remember?"

I did as she said. I waited outside as she went to the front-desk to explain why we were missing class. She took my hand and lead me to history and sat us at the back. All I could do was count down the minutes for one of my favorite subjects to end.

When the bell rang Ruby lead me to the car and went to get my bike. She left her phone on the dashboard and I could see it buzzing from time to time. It would annoy me, but I was too numbed to bother.

She stepped into the car and send a text to Will saying that we were leaving without him.

When we got home my Dad was not there. He would come home around seven thirty that night.

Ruby lead me into my room and made me sit on my bed. She went to park my bike inside of the house.

When she came back I was no longer numb. I was angry.

"You know what really pisses me the fuck off? That he actually blamed it on _me_. As if I would think it would be great to never be able to enjoy English class again! He is just so fucking…

Ugh ! He's an absolute arse!" I yell as I pace the room.

Ruby calmly sat down on my bed and waited for me to finish ranting. I inhaled and exhaled deeply a few times and joined her on the bed.

"You're right: he is an arse. He blamed you for things you have no grip over. But I do understand him." I hate it when Ruby is right. "He sees you, someone he has kissed and flirted with pop up out of nowhere. And you're not only one of his students, but also a minor."

"So what should I do?" I asked. I was still angry, but I was controlling myself. "Indirectly kick his ass." She smiled mischievously.

"You won't let him get to you. You will continue being you. You will continue to ace English and everything else, like you always do. And you will ignore Killian. Only Mister Jones exists."

It was really good advice, but it was hard to put into practice.

Regular English wasn't that hard. I would work in silence let the rest do the answering. I must admit that not putting my hand up was a bit out character, but I learned to suppress the urge.

I thought extracurricular English was going to be cripplingly awkward, but it went quite well. I would sit at my desk where he would have placed the instructions on my desk and I would follow them

Since I was assigned to read _The Handmaid's Tale_ by Margaret Atwood I spent the entire three hours reading. I had already read the book, but was better than talking to him.

He would spend the entire time looking over papers and ignoring me. The silence was awkward at first, but I grew accustomed to the constant elektricity.

The weekend gave me time to reorganise my thoughts and I have decided not to bother. I am not about to ruin my senior year because of Killian. No matter how sexy his jaw is.

Everything had to go back to normal from today on. And it is going pretty well.

I laughed so hard during recess that my stomach ached and chemistry was a blast. Literally. Will accidentally set fire to Anton's lab coat. Miss Swan was really nice about it and won't fail Will for the accident.

I have extracurricular English now. I can feel my hands get sweaty as I go to the classroom. "Ah, Miss French!" I hear behind me. "Yes, Mister Gold?" I say.

Mister Gold is oddly intimidating. He is not much taller than me and is thinly built, but he still he scares me quite the amount."Could you prepare the demonstration for today's class? I have a meeting and you are possibly the only one who will not blow up my classroom."

"Uh. Sure,Sir." Without saying another word he turns around and leaves. That was odd. Beyond odd even. Mister Gold has always been less aggressive with me than with all the other students, but to actually ask and not command me to do something…Odd.

As I get to the door of Killian's classroom I straighten the pleats in my yellow sundress but then, as I do with most things, I decide not to care.

Since the door is closed I knock. It is opened by Miss Swan. "Hello, Belle." she smiles at me through her thick black glasses. I smile back, but can't help wondering why she is here. "I'll see you at lunch, Killian." I go to sit at my desk and try to ignore the pang of jealousy I feel when he smiles back at her.

I keep my eyes on my book. I have not been able to finish my page and it has already been thirty minutes. I have no reason to feel this way. I should be happy! Maybe Miss Swan gets him to loosen up and stop being a jerk.

The bell rings and I feel as if I have been sitting here for only five minutes. I stand and take my stuff. "Belle." He says. I hadn't noticed that he was leaning at the front of his desk. I know I look panicked. I am panicking after all. What does he want?

"Yes." I say, my voice almost inaudible to myself. "We have to stop this." He won't look me in the eye. "I do not feel comfortable with the prospect of spending the rest of the year ignoring you. So we are going to be… professional." I notice he is saying the words as if he has practiced them. "I am your teacher you are my student. If we keep on acting like we are right now, that relationship won't work. You understand?" I nod.

"Good." He says looking up at me. I feel pinned to the ground, but I force myself to move when he opens the door for me. "See you tomorrow, Miss French." I don't have time to answer before he shuts the door in my face.

xxXXxxXXxx

"The guy is _absolutely_ ridiculous!" I half-shout to Ruby who can't help, but shake her head at me. "It is better like this, Belle. Or would you rather keep the rest of the year without showing of your superior brilliance during English?" I frown at her. "Not funny, Ruby."

"People are noticing that there is something off, Belle" She says, hopping onto Mister Gold's desk."You are our year's 'Little-Miss-Know-It-All'! If you stop answering questions during English, people might start thinking that the end of the world is near!" She says as she dramatically takes a bite out of her apple.

"Plus. You promised me that you would act normal!" I start looking for the supplies that Mister Gold has listed on the blackboard. "One: I did not promise a thing. Two: I am acting normal!" I aggressively take the magnets out of the closet.

"No you are not." I frown at her. "Normal you says "Good Morning, Sir" as you skip over to your desk with your hand already raised because,without him asking, you already know the answer to his question." "I don't do that!" I sniff indignated

"What you do is close enough to that! Baffle him with your brilliance, honey." I start looking for iron filings. "He wants a professional attitude? You will be the most professional girl in school!"

I feel her going on a tangent. "Okay! You are right! I will be respectable as fuck, but only if we talk about something else now." I am untangling copper wire now.

"Okay." She says while she takes a bite out of my sandwich. "How about we talk about Will." I roll my eyes at her. "Let's not do that." I say as I take my sandwich out of her hands. "Oh, come on you don't even like cheese!" I give it back to her and take hers instead. "Take the pills, by the way." She says spraying crumbs all over Mister Gold's desk. I quickly clean them of.

"Don't you notice it tough?" She is scrolling through her phone. "Robin is always joking about it." I push her of the desk. "If you are talking about Will, I suggest you stop. I take the pills with a swig of Ruby's apple juice. She sits on top of the front row desks now.

"You would make a cute couple tough." She says as she chews on another piece of cheese. Before I can answer someone coughs by the door. "I suggest you remove yourself from that desk and go to your class, Miss Lucas." Mister Gold says as he scolds at Ruby.

"Sure thing, Sir." She says hopping of the desk. She smiles at me again. "Bye." I awkwardly stand by the blackboard as Mister Gold looks at what I've put on his desk. "Good." he says.

At that I move my things to my desk and wait for the rest of the class to come in. "Not murdered I see." Will says as he sits next to me. "I would say you sound disappointed." I joke. He chuckles. He is about to say something else, but Mister Gold shushes us.

xxXXxxXXxx

Work is tiring especially if you take into account that we go to school by day and waitress by night. We work at Granny's during the first three weeks of the school year, but after that we need to get another job.

Granny doesn't like being responsible for us failing, because we are working during the evening. Ruby has already got a job at the shopping mall, but I'm still searching. I hope I find something soon.

It is Friday which means it is incredibly busy today. Everyone is celebrating their two-day-long-freedom with burgers and fries. Our shift ends at ten today. I was originally going to sleep over at Ruby's, but she is going to 'sleep' at Victor's.

When we get of off work he's waiting for her outside. His welcome towards me is very dry compared to the last time I saw him. He is Killian's friend after all.

My Dad is still up when I get home. "Hello, sweetheart." He says from the couch. "Hey, Dad. How was work?" I say as I drag my bike into the hallway. "Oh you know, the usual." That means bad.

My Dad owns _Game of Thorns_ Storybrooke's only florist _._ The shop has somehow managed to stay alive, but is always nearing bankruptcy.

"I'm going to bed" I say already going up the stairs. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

My relationship with my Dad is complicated. It's not that we don't get along, it's just that we don't talk much. If a complete stranger would replace me for a week Dad probably wouldn't notice. Neither would I. It's a bit sad if you think about it, but it's the way we have always worked. In silence.

xxXXxxXXxx

It is Friday again. Somehow the last week has flown by. I have started raising my hand again during English and have started saying "Good Morning, Sir" every time I entered one of Killian's classes. He would nod or give me a polite smile.

I have already filled in and handed in the question sheets for _The Handmaiden's tale_ and I am now working on my essay.

Physics has surprisingly become a highlight in my day. Mister Gold is very kind to me which is strange. "Seems the old pervert has a crush on you." Will joked on Tuesday. I smacked him in response and told him to stop being ridiculous.

Chemistry is still fun, but it's hard to concentrate when I can only imagine Miss Swan kissing Killian. It is stupid. I know. Still I can't stop imagining the way she sighs when he touches her the same way he touched me.

It are bad thoughts and I do my best to ignore them, but it's hard.

"Like seriously, who the hell puts ice in their cereal?" Will rants as we walk to English together. "People do that?" I ask. "Yes! It's disgusting!" His expression is one of such horror that I can't help, but bend over in laughter.

"Hey...Belle… I was wonderi-" Will says, but is then interrupted."Way to go, Romeo!" Robin says as he punches Will lightly in the arm. When I look up to glare at him my eyes meet a pair of electric blue eyes instead.

"If you wouldn't mind going inside instead of flirting I would be able to start my class." Killian sneers at the door. There's a light stubble on his cheeks that has glints of red in it I think his eyes quickly flashed to my chest and then to Will, but perhaps it was in my imagination. Anyway I start feeling self conscious about my fitted shirt.

"Sorry, Sir" I hear Will say. He passes Killian and enters the classroom. "You too, Miss French." I quickly shuffle pass him. I sit down and start playing with the hem of my blue skirt. I'm still blushing. I shoot a quick glance at Will who is in a heated argument with Robin.

I decide the shove my worries away and snap into 'student-mode' when Killian stands in front of the class. He looks like he is about to say something when his eyes cross mine. He sits down. "I suggest you work on some review exercises." Then fixates his attention on paperwork.

Usually he saves his paperwork for extracurricular English. I had already made the exercises, so I decide to work on my essay. Or at least that was the plan, but I end up not being able to concentrate. Again.

It seems as if hours pass before the bell rings. Everyone wants to leave. It's the last class on a Friday. Since I don't work at Granny's anymore I am not in a hurry.

Will comes up to me with a shy smile. "Hey… Belle." "Tell me." I say as I squeeze my binder into my bag. "Do you have anything to do tomorrow night?" He blurts. "What are we doing?" I ask putting a curl behind my ear. "Movies and food." He seems very excited now. "Great!" I say "Have you already asked Robin, Anton and Ruby?"

His face falls. "Oh..." This is awkward. "No it's no problem, never mind" He holds his hands up. "It's just.. Will." I groan. Have I already said how much I hate it when Ruby is right? "No it's okay. Really." "You understand, right?" I feel bad for him. "It's okay." He gives me a weak smile.

We walk to the door. I was so caught up in my own teen drama that I didn't notice that Killian was still here. "Have a nice weekend, Sir." Will says. "You too, Will" Killian answers with an almost pained smile. "Miss French, do you have a minute?" I freeze. Will frowns at me. "Wait in the car." I smile as comforting as possible. He smiles back as he closes the door behind him.

"Wha-" I start, but I'm interrupted by Killian smashing a kiss onto my lips. His hands curl into my ponytail, his lips aggressively press into my own and he pushes me against the wall. He is warm and his scruff scratches my cheeks as he lifts my leg over his hip. My hands snake around his neck and I kiss him back. Until I get angry.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" I yell as I push him away. He looks baffled and is breathing heavily. So am I. "Is this 'professional' to you?" I air quote 'professional'. "This is not how it works! You don't get to make me feel like crap and then decide you want me anyway! I'm not your doll and if that's what you're looking for then go find it elsewhere."

Slamming doors after being mad at Killian seems to be becoming a habit.

As I walk onto the parking lot only Ruby's car is left. She and Robin seem to be scolding Will. Ruby waves at me, but I'm too upset to wave back. I get my bike and cycle past them. "See you on Monday!" I yell behind my shoulder. "Belle!" I hear Ruby call after me, but I won't turn around.

 **Thank you for reading !**

 **A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited !**

 **And I promise, not every chapter will end in an argument...**

 **Thanks again and 'till the next update xxx**


	5. Chapter 5

I'm running out of words to describe how I feel, so I will settle on crappy. I feel crappy.

When I wake up the sun is already peaking through the blinds. It's twelve o'clock. I don't remember coming home yesterday. I hear voices downstairs. It's not like Dad to have visitors.

There is someone coming up the stairs now and I can hear the front door is closing. Ruby comes into my room. She's angry I can tell. "You're awake." She huffs. She walks through the room and opens my blinds.

The light is blinding so I cover my eyes with my arm. When I remove my arm she is standing at the foot of the bed with her arms crossed across her chest. "Are you going to tell me or do I have to ask?"

I sit upright. "Please sit down you're scaring me." I say, my voice croaky from sleep. "You know what is scary? You. suddenly cycling away without saying a word and then not answering your phone!" She says angrily as she plops down onto the bed.

I didn't hear my phone. I must look really worried, because her expression softens. "What happened?"

"Killian kissed me." It comes out like a question. "I was angry, I was tired and I didn't want to talk to Will." She just frowns and takes a deep breath, her eyes fixed on my flower-printed sheets. "I'm sorry that I made you worry, Ruby."

"You are right." She says looking up at me with a smile. "He's the biggest asshole in the history of mankind." she makes me shuffle over so she can sit next to me against the wall. "What did you do?" She takes off her boots and slips under the blanket.

"I...shouted at him." Everything seems to come out like a question. She laughs intertwining her fingers with mine. Her black nail polish has a really strange contrast with my colorless skin. "Did you kiss him back?" Her is smile is mischievous. "No!" She arches her brow. "Maybe, a little bit." She laughs at that, throwing her head back.

I can't help but laugh along. "This isn't funny." She ignores me. "Ruby! A teacher kissed me, remember? That's not okay!" "How was it?" "Oh my God! You're impossible!" I shout as I smack her on the leg with our intertwined hands.

"Well?" She smiles expectantly. "It was great." I admit laughing. "But that still doesn't make it okay." Her swell of laughter seems to have calmed down a bit. "That aside. He made me feel _really_ crappy. Twice already. I'm not some plaything of his." I feel anger welling up in my stomach.

"Let's talk about Will." Ruby suggest with a knowing smile on her face. "I Tol-" "Don't you dare to say 'I told you so'!" My mood falls a bit now. "I feel really bad about that too."

"You don't have to." She says drawing soothing circles over the back of my hand. "He asked a yes or no question. And he knew that the odds that you would say yes were pretty small. But-" She accentuates the word with a smack on my leg.

"He feels like utter shit right now, because he thinks you left like because you didn't want to speak to him." "Well I didn't want t-" I try to defend myself. I feel really bad for Will. "Belle." She says sternly. "You know what I mean." I sink back down into my bed.

"Alright." I mutter blocking the sun with a pillow. "No, Little Missy! You are not going back to sleep right now." "Watch me." I say. She resolves to straddling me as she smacks me with a pillow. "Alright! Alright!" I screech as I throw her off me.

"What are we doing today?" She is untangling one of her hoop earrings out of her dark hair. "You're going to shower, for one. And then we are going to crash Robin's place." She says happily as she jumps out of bed. "Good?"

"Nope." She looks surprised. "Homework. Remember what that is? I've got and essay to finish!" She rolls her eyes at me. "Okay,so you stay over at my place and we do homework tomorrow morning,deal?"

When I come out of the shower she is reading my essay for _The Handmaiden's tale._ "Any good?" I ask as I squeeze my legs into my jeans. There is nothing worse than putting on pants after showering, except for having a crush on your English teacher of course and famine. "I've read better." She doesn't see the pillow until it smacks her in the face.

After breakfast I leave a note on the fridge. Dad won't see it, but he can't say I didn't let him know where I was going. After passing by Ruby's we drive up onto Robin's lawn.

His mother opens the door. Miriam Lockwood is a very nice business woman that even though she isn't around often always is offering us food. Seriously, she texts Robin that he has to pay for dinner and such.

"So lovely to see you girls." She smiles as she hugs both of us. "How were your holidays Misses Lockwood?" I ask. "Oh, they were great." Before she can elaborate Robin comes down the stairs. "You're here! Great! Come! I've got something to show you!" He grabs Ruby by the wrists who grabs me. "Nice talking to you Miriam!" I say as I try not to fall of the stairs.

"What is it?" We ask when we get to Robin's room. It is deliberately messy. His mother keeps it clean, but he likes being rebellious. "Nothing really." He shrugs his shoulders. "We've got movies, snacks and the usual stash." he sums up as he opens the window. "Will is on his way with pizza and I suggest that we play spin the bottle so he doesn't feel completely rotten about being rejected." He looks at me.

"Ugh! Can we not talk about that, please?" I say as I plop down onto his bed. I start flipping through a comic book on his bedside table. "I think we should." He says leaning on the window ledge. "Cut her some slack, Rob." Ruby says as she puts a DVD into the player.

"He's my best friend. You've gotta underst-" He explains, but I interrupt him. "I'll talk to him, but not now. Can we just have a laid-back day?" Before he can answers Misses Lockwood knocks and comes in. "I'm leaving. There is money in the kitchen if you need any. Nice seeing you, girls."

We are going to do a Tarantino marathon. I'm not really that good with all of the gore, but I'll manage. It's fun that's going to be the four of us again. Even though things have changed. Things like Will asking me out and Robin and Ruby no longer flirting.

That used to be a thing. They would flirt constantly, but then Ruby had a boyfriend so things sort of stopped. Watching them interact is still a lot of fun.

We have just gotten past the part where Beatrix Kiddo is trying to wiggle her toes, when a pebble flies in through the window.

Robin gets off the bed and leans out the window. "Pizza!" Will yells. A minute later all four of us are huddled together on the bed devouring the pizza. I can see Will is hurt because of yesterday, but he tries not to let it show.

"You want my pepperoni." I offer. It's a peace treaty. He smiles at me and whispers "Thanks." Only to be shushed by Robin who has seen the movie a million time, but still wants to hear every line.

After sitting through roughly six hours of Uma Thurman being awesome. We decide that it is once again pizza time. We start moving outside now.

Next to Robin's room there is a lower inclined roof on which we always sit during summer. This summer we only got together like this once. We are moving Robin's Speaker System and lights around until we the roof is sufficiently illuminated.

We eat pizza on the roof while Arctic Monkeys blast through the speakers. We've got a playlist called "Roofies" for nights like these. We sit up here for hours drinking cheap liquor from Robin's stash.

Robin and Ruby share a cigarette together. Will and I decided to quit last year. I did sort of suck at smoking, so I didn't see the point of doing it. Ruby looks fabulous doing it. I didn't force her to quit with me. It's not my place to make decisions for her.

"When's your mom coming home?" Ruby asks smoke billowing trough her pretty red lips. "Dunno." Robin says as he knocks back another swig of Safari. "Not 'till twelve or somethin'" His words are coming out a bit slurred.

"Everything okay?" I ask putting my hand on his shoulder. I always sit in between Robin and Will since I'm terrified of falling. "It's just. Ugh!" He jumps to his feet. I wish I was as confident as him when it comes to moving on the roof.

"She's been suffocating me! And I know she's back together with my dad. I can feel it! And it pisses me the hell off!" He sits down with a smack. "You have no idea how overbearing Moms can be." His face then freezes in shock. "I'm sorry, Belle! I didn't mean it like that!"

"It's okay." He still looks really guilty. "Just… She'll _never_ leave you, especially not for your Dad." He is focusing on his knees. "She cares a lot about you, she's great! Don't worry about it."

It is awfully silent until Ruby gets up. "Come on!" She holds her hand out to Robin. "Let's see if you have something in your kitchen that isn't healthy."

Will and I sit in silence for while. "I'm sorry, Will" I whisper. I don't have to tell him what I'm talking about. He knows. "Don't be." He' uncomfortable, I can tell. "No, really I am. You are great,Will. And you're one of my favorite people ever." He smiles at that. "I think you would waste your time on me."

I put my arm around his shoulders. I can remember the time when my arm fit around him. Now his broad shoulders makes it slightly harder. "So," I conclude. "We good?"

"We always are." He smiles at me. "Let's get hammered." I say as I pass him a cup of Safari and Fanta and have one myself. "To the friend zone." He jokes as he clinks his plastic cup against my own.

"You think they're making out?" He asks, pointing his chin in direction of the kitchen lights. "Nah." I say, taking a sip from my cup. "She's pretty serious about this Victor guy." Truth be told I'm not sure. It wouldn't be unlike Ruby to have a kiss and run.

They come back outside with potato chips and smiles on their faces. I could arch my eyebrows at Ruby, to find out what happened in the kitchen,but I don't.

We end up sleeping at Robin's. Before I fall asleep I check my phone and see I have a missed call: Mister Sexy Jaw. What the fuck? I don't to answer the call. It can wait until Monday.

I decide not to let him spoil the moment, because for the first time in what feels like years I feel at ease. With the alcohol happily bubbling in my veins I feel good. For the first time in a while I feel truly happy.

 **Thank you for reading !**

 **A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited !**

 **This is a bit of a short one, but I am feeling quite spontaneous today :)**

 **I decided on changing Robin's last name, since Disney and Robin Hood exist in this world.**

 **Thanks again and 'till the next update xxx**


	6. Chapter 6

We spent the entirety of Sunday morning sleeping. Robin was completely hungover and therefore quite cranky. We ate leftover pizza for breakfast and lunch and tidied before Misses Lockwood could see the mess we'd made. Misses Lockwood didn't come home last night. She probably spent the night at Robin's dad's.

Robin doesn't really get along with his Dad. He had an affair with one of the nurses and moved out a year ago. Mrs Lockwood was heartbroken, especially since it had been the second time that Jon had cheated on her.

Ruby and I are driving back to my house now. I've got an essay to finish and she needs help with physics. "Did you kiss him?" I ask. We are always like this in the car: Ruby drives, I have my feet up on the dashboard and Will sits in the back where he is always complaining about the music we have chosen.

But Will isn't here now. He decided to stay a little longer, probably to hear Robin out about what had happened in the kitchen.

"Who?" Ruby asks keeping her eyes on the road. "Robin. Don't lie to me, Rubes." She frowns. "Strangely enough I didn't. I wanted to, but then I… didn't." I can tell she doesn't want me to pry.

"How did things go with Will." She asks looking at me. "Road!" I yell. "Things are going to be fine I think."

"Killian called last night." I say taking my feet of the dashboard as we drive into my street."You didn't call back, right?" She says shifting in her seat. "You're _terrible_ when you're tipsy!" I roll my eyes at her.

"I'm not _that_ bad! And, no, I didn't call him and I'm not going to. I'm done with him right now." I shrug my shoulders as I unbuckle my belt. Ruby bites on the inside of her cheek as she drives up the driveway.

Ruby ended up staying over. It was three thirty when we got home and we still had a lot to do. I don't know why, but Ruby seemed incredibly pensive throughout the day. I asked what was going on a few times, but she pushed me away. I'm getting worried: We tell each-other everything. I decide to try not to worry: She'll tell me when she's ready.

It's Monday once more. We pass by Will's to pick him up. He keeps on babbling about how much he hates Gold for giving so much homework during the weekends.

"He has no sympathy for those of us who are hungover!" He says smacking his hand on the back of my seat. "Just because he doesn't have a life, it doesn't mean that we don't!" "Don't get yourself so worked up about it." I say. "I bet he's not _that_ terrible in, you know, real life."

"Just because he's got the hots for you it doesn't mean he is a nice guy, Brains!" Will, Robin and Anton call me Brains all the time. It's quite annoying, which is why they do it.

"Gold's got the hots for you?" Ruby laughs, turning to me. "Eyes on the road!" I yell. "And no he doesn't have the hots for me." "Yes he does." Will teases as he pokes me in the rib.

He is acting normal again, which is a great sign. "This conversation is over." I say as I pull my seat back to crush him. "Hey, Stop that!" He laughs. "Stop wrecking my car! I don't want an accident." "Says the girl who never keeps her eyes on the fucking road!" I say as I snap the seat back into place.

We pull up into the parking lot. Because it's cloudy today there is hardly any space left. Except one where a big, double-parked jeep is taking up all of the space. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." Ruby mutters as she rolls down the window.

"Hey, Gaston!" His head snaps back from where he is talking to Josh 'LeFou' Wagner. "Could you please try not being an absolute dick for once and move your car?"

"And why would I do that?" He says cocking his head to the side as he leans into the car. "Because I'm asking nicely and not ramming into it." Ruby says as she brings her face close to his. She did that once. Wreck Gaston's car. It was sort of an accident. Emphasis on sort of.

"Try not being a bitch for once." He suggests as he gets into his car. "Try not being a dick." I hear Will whisper in the back. It makes me giggle.

"There you go, princess." Gaston says with a bow when we are parked. Ruby and Will ignore him. I offer him a tight lipped smile and ignore all his comments about us to LeFou.

I think it is impossible to be an _actual_ Monday-person, but if there ever has been one it is me. But today is trying it's best to change my mind

After our encounter with Gaston we had a pop-quiz for Biology, followed by Trigonometry and French which are always torturous. During break we had to sit inside because it started raining. I made Will's Physics homework, since he had forgotten two pages out of the six.

The only highlight so far was chemistry. Miss Swan took us back to basics and demonstrated which colors certain metals become when you hold them in a flame. Everyone looked so young with their eyes wide whilst the greens and reds were reflected in their eyes. "Looks like Harry Potter." Will whispered in amazement.

Physics was fine. For me. Zelena was called to the blackboard at the beginning of class and since she hadn't made the six-page homework,didn't know any of the answers. It goes without saying that Mister Gold reduced her to nothing with his snarky comments.

Zelena is a bit of a witch. I think she has the same problem as Gaston. She tries to fill a huge gaping hole in her chest by being incredibly mean to most people. I still feel bad for her when Gold tells her she's going to fail her year if she continues on this path.

Meanwhile I have been obsessing about what I am going to do about my little sexy jaw problem. The thought of having to talk to Killian has been gnawing away at me the last two days and I'm not looking forward to it. Ruby is constantly trying to cheer me up and to distract me. It is not working.

The dreaded bell rings quicker than I'd like. "Tell me later." Ruby whispers in my ear before planting a kiss on my cheek. Robin and Will are having a heated discussion because Robin ate his Kit-Kat the 'wrong way'. (Instead of breaking of the individual bars he just ate a chunks which is "Absolutely unforgivable!" according to Will.)

When we get to class I half run to my seat and focus on organizing my desk. "Okay everyone! Today we are going to start a new chapter." Killian says as he writes 'Poetry analysis' on the blackboard. "If any of you wants to woe a certain special someone I suggest you take notes."

He has a dazzling smile on his face. It's incredible how he can hide the fact that he kissed one of his students last Friday and then called her on Saturday. I wonder how many more of my teachers are just actors. His smile falters slightly when his eyes meet mine.

"Turn your books to page forty-two. Here you can find a poem by Emily Dickinson. Does anything about the way the poem looks stand out to you?" _Is his accent real?_

Class drones on and as soon as the bell rings I am on my feet. _I'm going to make it._ But, just because it is Monday and the universe hates me, I am stopped by his voice. Again. "Miss French, could you please wait a minute to go over your essay?"

I don't smile or act polite I just lean against the wall by the door and wait for everyone to leave. "Tell Nolan I'm going to be late." I say to Robin who has economics with me. When the last student closes the door he sighs, rubbing his eyes. He looks tired.

"Belle…" He starts. "Why am I here, Killian?" I ask crossing my arms over my chest. "Are you going to kiss me or scold me? Because I'd like to be able to defend myself this time."

"I want to apologize."He says calmly. It catches me off guard. "I am sorry. I've been a dick to you and you don't deserve that."

"It's just that I was scared. I met this girl a few weeks back and I…" He takes a deep breath. "I couldn't stop thinking about her. And Then she turns up, as my underage student!" He lets out a humorless chuckle. It doesn't reach his eyes.

"The worst part is that even though I shouldn't I still want to get to know her...you. So I tried putting as much distance between us as I could, but I mistreated you in the process and I am sorry."

I don't know what to say. He sounds so confused and honest. "So tell me what to do. Please. " He rubs his stubbly jaw. "I can't pretend that nothing happened, but if you want me to back off I will." He looks me into my eyes and I find it hard to think straight.

"Still. I am sorry for being horrible and I'd like to make it up to you." I cock my head at this. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"This will make me sound like the biggest creep in history." He mutters as he pushes his hand through his black hair and takes a deep breath 'Would you like to come over for dinner at my place?" He lets go of the breath he was holding. I arch my brow.

"To talk things over and to you know… get to know each other." The last part comes out like a question." He scratches the back of his head. "Apart from being mean myself my fish is pretty mean as well." I crack a smile at that. "That rhymed and sounded way better in my head." He chuckles and I feel the warmth of his smile spreading over my cheeks. It didn't rhyme.

I quickly regain my composure, erasing all traces of the smile from my face. I hold his stare as I walk past him and place my essay on his desk. He looks confused as I walk back to the door."I'll think about it." I say over my shoulder.

For once I do not slam the door.

xxXXxxXXxx

"And you didn't say yes?" Ruby half screams as the smoke billows out of her mouth. "He hurt my feelings so I won't give into it like that." I say from where I'm sitting on her bed. She is smoking by the window.

"And besides." I say playing with a loose strand on her duvet. "He probably just wants to fuck and I'm simply not his sex-object." "So what?" Ruby says as she throws the bud out of the open window. "The guy is smokin hot and he apologized! Why not?"

"Because my self-worth is still intact, thank you very much." She huffs as she sits besides me on the bed. "You're right. Do what feels right." I nod. She's right. I'll do what I feel comfortable with.

"But do you know what would feel really right?" Naively enough, I look up at her. "His big, hard co-" "Oh my God! You're impossible!" I say as I smack her on the shoulder.

She falls back laughing, her hair forming a crown around her face. "I'll think about it." She nods sternly at my answer. "It being his big, hard c-" The rest of my sentence gets drowned out by our laughter.

 **Thank you for reading !**

 **A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited !**

 **Things are getting slightly more positive, but I'm one for drama so we'll see :)**

 **Someone asked whether I was going to write from Killian's POV: I'm planning to, but I'm just beginning to feel comfortable 'writing as Belle' so it will probably happen later on in the story.**

 **Thanks again and 'till the next update xxx**

 **(PS: Sorry for any possible spelling errors, my eyes are really tired.)**


	7. Chapter 7

It's painfully awkward to walk into English class and see your teacher expectantly look at you to see whether you agree to go on a date with him. It can only get worse when you realise you still don't have an answer. It's already Wednesday.

A part of me wants to. I want to go to his house and eat fish and maybe sleep with him.

Another part of me is too proud. He hurt my feelings and is therefore on my blacklist. And discussions aside, we've only talked two times. One time it ended in kissing and almost sex the other time was over text. On top of that goes the fact that he's my teacher.

I think he notices he won't get an answer today either. He just smiles blindingly at me.

Everythings seems to be going okay. Killian isn't being an arse anymore and the only major thing we have to due to next week is, of course, Physics. I'm still looking for work, but Ruby starts next week. At least one of us has a job.

To make me feel better about my brokeness and my English teacher issues she is getting me ice cream after school. It seems fair.

Robin and Will might come along too. It is strange. The four of us have always hanged out together, but this year we are becoming a closer knit group. It feels nice to change from 'friends' to 'good friends'.

The worst part about Wednesdays is P.E.. Our teacher, Mister Leroy, is short and always angry. I honestly don't blame him. If I'd be stuck trying to explain how softball works to seventeen year olds I'd be mad too.

After school we leave the car in the parking lot and my bike in the car. Town is only a few minutes away. "Are Robin and Will not coming?" I ask as we leave the school. "Nope." Ruby says, smacking the p.

"They bailed on us. Which is honestly better." She says smiling mischievously at me. We cross the street to get to the ice cream parlour. "We can talk about our favorite Irishman." I roll my eyes at her. "You think his accent is real?"

"Why don't you ask him on your dinner date." She winks at me. "I noticed his beard is sort of reddish. You think the carpet matches the drapes?" I'm laughing so hard tears jump into my eyes. "You are an absolute _idiot_!"

"At least I am asking the important questions. Such as, you taking stracciatella?" Ingrid, the lady that runs the ice-cream parlour is looking at us with raised eyebrows. I nod. "One stracciatella in a pot and one raspberry cone, please."

When we leave the parlour, ice cream in hand, we decide to walk around the block before heading back to the car. "No, but seriously," I say taking another scoop. "I still don't know what to do about that dinner."

"I can't make that decision for you, sweetheart." Ruby says as she looks to the window of a couple of shops. "Think about the worst thing that could happen." She says as she looks into the window of the pawnbroker's.

"I could be kidnapped, tortured and killed." She rolls her eyes at me. "You need help." She says looking back to the window. "That necklace is _really_ pretty." She is eyeing a silver chain with a blue pendant. It is absolutely gorgeous. "You think Mister Gold owns the place?" I ask taking another bite.

"Dunno." Ruby answers. She is already eating her cone. My eyes fall on the "Help Wanted" sign stuck onto the display window. I throw my ice-cream pot in the bin. "Let's go inside." Before she can answer I'm already pushing the door open.

A bell rings as we enter the shop. Everything in the shop feels, smells and looks old. Even the cash register is out-dated. There is no one in here, but us. "This place is _so_ creepy." Ruby mumbles as she stares at the ceiling."What the hell are these made of?" She asks while she pokes a human looking doll.

"Oak," A voice answers. The two of us jump around. "Sorry. Did I frighten you?" The guy behind the counter is young, good looking and smiling broadly at us. He's definitely not Mister Gold.

"It's okay." Ruby answers. "How can I help you?" He says as he comes from behind the counter. "We were just looking at the necklace in the display. How much is it?"

"The heart of the sea? Quite the pretty little thing, isn't it?" He irradiates calm and comfort. "It's worth about two hundred dollars."

"But I might make a small discount for you girls." He winks at me."Thanks." Ruby says looking at him suspiciously. "Anything else?" He asks politely. "Nope." Ruby says as she walks to the door.

"Actually. The 'Help wanted'-sign." I say pointing to the window. "Is that still up?"

"I'm glad you noticed it." He says as he gets behind the counter. "I've been looking for someone to clean and take care of some bookkeeping for ages. And, you know, take care of the shop from time to time. Why? You interested?"

"Yes, Absolutely!" I say as I step up to the counter. He is trying to hide his enthusiasm. I can tell. "Just bring in your curriculum one of these days and we'll look it over."

"Okay, great, thank you. Would Saturday be okay?" I don't really have anything to do then. "Sure. We open at ten."

"Great!" I'm gushing. "I'm Belle French, by the way" I say as I awkwardly extend my hand over the counter. "French?" He asks as he shakes my hand. "You're Maurice's kid?"

"Yes. I am." I feel awkward. People usually never notice that we're related and then tell us. "You really look nothing alike." There it is. "Yeah. I've been told that." I think he senses the awkwardness.

"Well, see you on Saturday!" He says in way of dismissal. "Yes, bye" I smile, regaining composure as I go for the door where an impressed Ruby is waiting.

"Like, what is it with you these days!" She says exasperated as we leave the shop. "What?"

"With men!" She says as she waves her arms above her head. "They're flocking you lately! Killian, Will, Gold and now creepy store guy!"

"What? No!" She's being ridiculous again. "Creepy store guy was _not_ flirting with me!" She smiles knowingly. "That's what you said last time."

"How's Victor?" I ask trying to change subject. "Oh, no, Missy!" Ruby says laughing. "We are going to talk about your _fully_ booked love life."

Laughter gets the better of me. We are across the school now, but we have to stop. Ruby keeps on cracking jokes about 'my fuck-boys'. There are tears of laughter streaming down our faces. We sit doubled over on the sidewalk until we can walk again. Then we go home.

xxXXxxXXxx

I've made my decision. Ruby is right. I don't have anything to lose. It's Thursday morning and it's raining again.

I like biking in the rain, but when the parking lot gets slippery it's terrifying. I manage to manoeuvre in between cars to get to the bike stands. These are empty since no one in their right mind cycles in this weather.

I walk over to the spot that Ruby will probably park in. I feel the cold of the pavements through my oxford flats. Because of the shitty weather there is hardly anyone outside. I am proud of myself for not falling, when I'm suddenly on the ground.

I see someone rush over and help me up. "Thanks." I say as I smile. Stupid move. "Look who is crawling back to me." Gaston says as he wraps his arm around my neck. "Literally."

 _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit_

"I'm not crawling to anyone. You can let me go now." I say as I try to get away from him, but his grip is too strong. I feel his finger digging into my neck and shoulder and I can already tell it's going to bruise. "Oh, come on. I did you a favor and you're not planning to return it?" I'm starting to shake. I'm panicking again. I cry when I panic.

"Let go of me!" I say more forcefully now a crowd has slowly started to gather. All Gaston's friends. None of mine. Gaston laughs "Why sh-", but is then interrupted. "Is there a problem here?" Someone asks.

It's Miss Swan. I immediately feel his grip loosening and get away from him as quickly as I can. I shoot a grateful smile at Miss Swan and the quickly walk to the main building where Ruby and Will are looking for me.

Ruby keeps going on about how she's going to skin Gaston alive during Biology. I tell her not to bother and I feel bad for being relieved when I have French with Will. Who is even angrier than Ruby."Je ne peux pas croire cet imbécile!" was an often used expression that class.

I don't think anyone has told Robin yet so economics is finally a bit more soothing.

But then recess starts and Ruby fills Anton and Robin in who now have both joined the "Let's kill Gaston Hunter in the coming school year" party. It sort of goes without saying that I'm having a sort of shitty day.

I think Ruby notices my discomfort. Nevermind, she notices something else. "Let me see those." The boys don't hear her, they are too busy forging their masterplan.

"Let's throw him in a bathtub full of acid." Anton suggests as Ruby takes my hair out of the way. "These are going to stick around for a day or two ." She says as she softly traces a finger over the bruises.

"Do they hurt?" "I'm fine, really." I offer her a smile. "I would rather not talk about it anymore. I've got bigger problems right now." She sighs "You're right, I'm sorry. Dipshits!" She says to the boys. "Let's discuss our strategy some other time. Brains here..." She puts an arm over my shoulders "doesn't do that well with all that gore."

They get the memo. When we get to chemistry Miss Swan smiles broadly at me and then scolds at Gaston who sits at the back. "I'm sorry if we got a bit worked up earlier." Will whispers. "A bit?" I snort. "Don't worry bout it. It's okay."

I notice that Miss Swan keeps on staring at me throughout the course of the class. I just want to get to Physics where mister Gold will do anything but hover.

Getting called back by teachers is becoming a habit this year. "Belle, do you have a moment?". I ask Will to cover for me as I go back inside.

"What was going on on the parking lot, Belle?" Miss Swan asks. "Nothing." I awkwardly shove my hands into my jacket pockets. "You don't have to defend anyone, you know?" She looks really worried.

"I'm not def-" She arches her brow. "It was nothing. Gaston was being a jerk. Nothing new and nothing I can't handle. Thanks anyway." I start going to the door.

"You're sweet, Belle" I whip my head around at that. "But that doesn't mean you've got to take the crap that people throw at you and that doesn't mean you can let people manhandle you like that."

"You've got every right to say no to things or punch assholes like Gaston in the face." That's not a very neutral thing to say for a teacher. When I'm about to answer someone knocks on the door. Because it is my lucky day no one other than Killian Jones walks in.

His black hair is wet and so is his white button-up, which clings to his muscled torso. He is distracting me so I decide to ignore him.

He looks a bit freaked out when he sees me ."Is everything alright?" I roll my eyes. "Thanks, Miss Swan. For the… advice." I say as I walk past Killian, to the door. "Call me Emma." That's a first. "Thanks… Emma." I say as I give her a tight lipped smile.

I feel Killian looking at me as I close the door.

xxXXxxXXxx

Lunch is okay. It is taking my mind of things. My mood has improved. We are playing cards. I always finish second to last and Anton is always claiming the winner cheated.

I've got extracurricular English now. It seems as if our run in this morning happened a week ago, which makes me feel strangely relaxed.

"Hello." I smile as I go inside. "Hi." He looks up from his papers. He takes a book out of his bag. "For your next assignment." He says as he holds up a copy of _The Bell Jar_ by Sylvia Plath.

I think he can see my face light up at the sight of the book. "You've already read it?" He asks as he stands to hand it to me. "Yes, it's great." I smile. I'm becoming gooey inside. I go to my desk. He stands there for another minute as if he is about to say something, but then goes back to his desk.

I love _The Bell Jar._ It's one of my favorite books of all time. I've read it so many times my two copies are falling apart. But still I love re-reading it. I'm so sucked up in the book that I don't notice Killian standing next to me.

"What… Are those bruises?" He says as he pushes a strand of hair out of the way. He pushes my chin up with his finger, leaving my neck exposed to him. "It's nothing." I whisper. I can't move when I feel his fingers leaving a trail of sparks where he touches my skin.

"Who did this to you?" From the corner of my eye I can see how his blue eyes flash angrily. "It's really nothing." He turns my head by my chin. His face is dangerously close to mine.

"You've got fucking bruises on your neck, Belle. It is something." His warm breath mingles with my own. I can see constellations in his eyes and they makes me dizzy.I can't think with him so close to me. "It's nothing. I had a bit of a run in with someone. It's okay." I swallow. He frowns as he turns my face and touches my neck again.

His fingers sloppily make patterns on my skin. He is not touching the bruises anymore, but I don't mind. I feel his fingers dance around my collarbone and his thumb caress a bruise. I can't help, but softly sigh. He steps aways from me. "If this person hurts you again, tell me." He looks really worried as he crosses his arms across his chest.

I can't help, but look at him and notice how even from afar I can still see the stars. He goes back to his desk and before I can stop myself I open my mouth. "When?" He stops in his tracks and frowns as he turns. "Dinner."I say to explain myself. "When?" His face lightens up.

"Saturday around eight, if that's good for you." He says with an incredulous smile on his face. The bell rings. I pick up my bag and book. "Just promise not to murder me and I'll be there." He is full-on beaming now. "I promise."

"Good." I'm still a bit shaky. "Send me your address and I'll see you then." I can't keep from bouncing slightly while I walk to the door.

 **Thank you for reading !**

 **A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited !**

 **I think this might be one of the longest chapters so far!**

 **My next update is planned for next Monday (15/08/2016), but since I'm travelling the coming weeks I can't promise anything.**

 **Anyway...**

 **Thanks again and 'till the next update xxx**


	8. Chapter 8

Saying that today is stressful is an understatement. This Saturday might go down in history as the Saturday that my emotional breakdowns officially went out of hand.

Not only do I have a job interview at a really creepy pawn-shop owned by a guy whose name I still don't know, but I also have a dinner date with my English teacher. My life can't get stranger, or so I hope.

I wake up an hour before I intend to, which means I just have more time to stress out. I go over my outfit three times and up wearing jeans and a dark red blouse. I then realize it's already nine thirty which means I might be there later than I'd like to be.

I cycle as fast as I can. My thoughts keep swirling. _Did I bring my resume? Yes, I've already checked twice. Maybe I'm dressed too casual for this. What am I going to wear tonight? Oh, shit! Tonight!_

When he sent me the text with the address I thought about calling the entire thing off. But I then decided that if I would cancel it I should do it in person. But when I walked into class and saw the knowing grin he shot me I suddenly felt reminded of how right it felt to say yes.

Honestly, I still don't know why I agreed to this. But maybe things will get more normal after tonight. We'll see.

I get to the shop too early. The 'closed' sign is still turned and the shutters are down. The guy had said Saturday at ten the other day it's ten past ten right now. Maybe he's late. I lock my bike around a streetlight and sit on the ledge of the shop-window.

I let my leg bounce nervously as I wait for him.

Ruby was thrilled that I had agreed to the date. She wanted to 'help me get ready', but I had said no. She would only make me more nervous. She is going to crash at Robin's instead.

Robin and Will don't know. I decided that it wouldn't be wise to involve those two. They would probably get mad and make a list of everything wrong with this situation. A list I have already made over and over again inside my head.

I am so lost in thought that I don't see the laid-back figure getting out of an old pick-up truck and cross the street.

"Good Morning, Belle." The shop owner says as he smiles broadly at me. "I hope you haven't been waiting too long."

I've been here twenty minutes. "Not at all. I guess I was a bit early." I say as I get of the window-ledge. My hands are sweaty. I'm nervous. "I've got my resume with me," I say as I hold up the brown envelope. "If the job is still up for grabs, that is." My hand is shaking slightly as I hand him the file.

"Give it to me inside. We can go over it together." He says as he unlocks the door, the bell ringing.

I follow him inside and wait awkwardly by the cash register. He has disappeared behind a curtained off section. I place the envelope on the counter. "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name the other day." I say as I try to look behind the curtain from where I'm standing.

"Oh, sorry," He says as comes back. "I'm Neal." _Does he ever stop smiling?_ "I'd say nice to meet you, but we've already met so…" He takes the envelope and reads it over.

"Looks good to me." He says after reading it over quickly. "If you're alright with the following details, you're hired." He says as he hands me a sheet of paper from under the counter. "Just like that?" I ask.

He shrugs his shoulders, "Let's say I'm desperate." I don't feel more secure with that. He notices. "And my father told me that you're his only student with half a brain. Coming from him, that's a compliment."

"Mister Gold's your father?" I ask. I can't imagine Mister Gold being a dad. Absolutely not. "Most people can't tell." He says in explanation. "But this store has been around for ages." I say. It's a question. "It was my grandfather's. But since he passed away last year I own it."

Neal looks strangely proud of the gloomy place. "Sorry for your loss." He just smiles. I have more questions, but none that won't sound incredibly strange such as "Who's your mother?" Instead I read the information-sheet he has handed me.

Cleaning three days a week and keeping the store open on aren't as many work-hours as I had at Granny's, but the pay is just about the same. This is _awesome_.

"Everything alright?" Neal asks expectantly. "It's great." I say handing him the paper back. "When can I start?"

"I'm going to be out of town for a few days next week." He says as he flips a pair of keys around between his fingers. "If you could pass by and clean Wednesday, that would be great." He says as he tosses me the keys. I catch them with a small stumble.

It all seems pretty sudden, but I am in no position to argue. "That's great, thanks." I say as I look over the bundle of keys.

"Great." He says clapping his hands together. "Supplies are in the back and if you have any questions." He takes out a business card out of the back-pocket of his jeans. "You can call either me or my father."

I don't have a feeling I'll be calling Mister old anytime soon, but still I take the card. "Thanks." I say as I put it into my pocket. "That's it then."

I can't speak without blurting out loads of overly excited adjectives, so I settle on nodding. I feel as if this odd job-interview is over so I make my way to the door. "Thanks again, Neal. I won't let you down." He looks me up and down the smile never leaving his eyes. "Don't worry, Belle. The shop practically runs itself." He winks and I leave.

I swear I felt a weight being lifted from my shoulders as I walked out the door. I text Ruby that I've got the job. I am just asking myself why I was so worried and then remember.

Dinner.

xxXXxxXXxx

I've spent the entire day trying to take my mind off of things. Things being Killian. I made all the possible homework I could make and finished _The Bell Jar._ I also cleaned up the kitchen and called Ruby who is trying to get me to wear something sexy. Which I'm not going to do.

I turn on the shower and wait for it to heat up. In the meanwhile I stand in front of the bathroom mirror. It's been awhile since I've analysed my own body like this. My chestnut curls have gotten really long now and can almost cover my modest breasts. I poke the small layer of fat around my midsection as I let my eyes trail the rest of my pale body. _Should I shave for this?_

I'm not planning on having sex with Killian. Ruby is betting that we will end up screwing. I honestly don't know what to think of it. The sexual tension is there, but that doesn't mean we will act on it. Anyway: Better safe than sorry.

By the time I'm ready to go it is seven thirty. I looked up Killian's house and it is in the middle of fucking nowhere. I text Ruby to tell her I'm leaving and then embark on my quest to the most inappropriate dinner party ever.

I find the house after getting lost about three times. It is in the outskirts of Storybrooke and stands alone in a clearing down from the tree-lined highway. There is light coming out of most of the windows of the cosy, two story house.

The path leading up to the house is hard to cycle on and I almost fall over a couple of times. By the time I get to the front-door of the illuminated cottage I can feel my heart beating in my throat.

 _Should I have brought something? I haven't brought anything! Just relax._ I lean my bike against the porch. _Everything is okay. Remain calm._

I ring the doorbell and wait. _Maybe I can make a run for it… Remain calm!_

The door opens and I yelp slightly. "Hi!" I say as I concentrate on my breathing. Once I see his relaxed grin I can feel a smile spreading over my face as well. "Hello." He smiles as he makes room for me to enter.

The hallway leads to the kitchen and living room. There are pots on the stove and a glass of white wine. Everything is a mix of sloppy cleanliness. There are disorganized bookcases all around the small living room and a few cardboard boxes piled next to the TV.

"I'm sorry for the mess. I'm still procrastinating unpacking." He says he brushes past me and goes into the kitchen. There is a big window in the kitchen facing the surrounding woods. I can see us reflected in it.

"You want to drink something?" He asks. "I swear I won't drug it." With a giggle I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. "I'll have what you're having." While he pours me a glass I shrug of my coat. "Where can I put this?" I ask.

"Put it anywhere." He says as he put my glass on the counter. I throw it over one of the armchairs in the living room.

"Can I help with anything?" I ask as I take a sip. "Those need chopping." He points a spoon to a chopping board. The way he smiles makes my entire body feel glowingly warm. Or is that the wine?

"How did you find this house?" I ask as I put my hands under the water tap. "It's really hard to find a place in Storybrooke. Especially this far out of town." It is a good question. Nothing serious. Small talk.

"It used to be a family friend's, but she passed away and left it to us." He says stirring something in one of the pots. It smells nice. "We were going to sell it it, but when I found work I kept it."

"You had trouble finding it?" He shoots me a sideways glance. "Yes, but it's okay. I'm here now." I haven't stopped smiling. I am feeling strangely relaxed. _Did he drug me?_ No.

"What was your friend's name?" I ask as I start slicing a pepper. "Angelica Mosse." "Strange." I say. "I never met her." I slide the slices into a bowl. "Why is that strange?" He asks looking at me through our reflection in the kitchen window. I feel pinned down.

"It's Storybrooke." I say looking away. "Everyone knows everyone." I take sip of wine.

"She spent most her time up in Boston, so maybe that is why." He says as he leans against the counter next to me. I concentrate on another pepper.

"You're from Boston?" I ask. "No. Well, yes." I arch my brow at him. He lets out a breathy laugh. "My family and I moved to Boston from Dublin a few years ago." I'm about to ask him why, but he already answers me. "We needed a change of scenery." It's obvious he doesn't want me to pry.

"You had me thinking the accent was fake." I joke. There is one pepper left. "How about your accent?"

"Is it that obvious?" Usually people don't notice unless I tell them. "Only when you yell at me." He takes another sip of wine. My eyes automatically train on his Adam's apple bobbing beneath the reddish-scruff on his face. I swallow the lump stuck in my throat.

"My Dad's from Australia."I say as I slide the rest of the peppers into the bowl and take my glass into my hand. "What does he do?" Killian asks. I lean next to him. "You know the run-down florist on Main Street?" He nods. "My Dad's the owner."

"You two get along?"He is eyeing the spot in my neck where the bruises used to be. "He's fine. We don't talk that much." I am wondering why I am honest with him.

"How about your Mother?" There it is. The one-billion dollar question that I can't get away from. "I don't really know my Mum." I say as I look into my glass. I wish I could do something with my hands.

I look up at him. "She left when I was about eight." He frowns as he looks down at me. "My Dad thought she'd gone missing, but I think she contacted him to tell him to stop looking." I hate the silence that always follows after this.

"It's okay though. I don't really remember her anyway." Suddenly Killian's arms are around me. It's isn't sexual. It is meant to be comforting. "No one should go through that." He whispers in my hair.

He then lets go and takes a step away from me. I pick up my glass. The mood has sunken too much. "How about your parents?" I ask trying to sound cheerful.

"My Dad's a dentist and my Mum used to be a children's psychologist, but when we moved she started teaching in primary school." He puts the peppers into one of the pans. "I've also got a brother, Liam. He used to work in the navy."

"Why did he stop?" I take another swig out of my glass. "He wanted everything to calm down a bit." He says shrugging. "He trains younger soldiers now. He's getting married in a few weeks actually."

"That's great!" I go and sit on one of the stools by the counter. "You like his fiancee?" He turns and smiles at me. "Abby? She's great. She works with disabled marines, they met there."

"You're brother is disabled?" I ask. "Liam? No not at all!" His eyes are big at the thought. "A friend of his was. They met through him."

"Oh." I let my feet swing. "Can I do something else?" I ask, pointing my glass at the pots on the stove. "No. I'm just going to fry the fish and then we'll be ready." He says.

"The mean fish?" I tease. He lets out a short laugh. It resonates inside me. "That's going to follow me around for a while isn't it." I love the way his eyes light everything up. "Yes. Yes it will."

We just stand there. With stupid smiles on our faces, looking at each other. Strangely enough it feels as if we're looking through each other. I feel my smile slowly fading as we seem to transcend into something else. I don't know what I'm going to say, but I take a breath to speak.

Before the words pour out my phone starts buzzing on the counter. We both jump slightly. I stretch and grasp my mobile. It's Ruby: "You alive?" I roll my eyes. "Yes."

Killian looks at me and arches an amused brow. "It's just Ruby." I say as in explanation as I put the phone back on the counter. "She's checking whether you've murdered me or not." He laughs at that.

"Ruby? As in Victor's girl Ruby?" He asks as he prepares the fish. His expression is worried. The cocoon that had been created is gone. "Is she Victor's girl, though?" I question as I shrug. "But yes. That Ruby."

"Is it uh… why does she know you're here?" He is avoiding my eyes. "I'm having dinner in the most isolated house in town with my older English teacher. It seemed like a good idea to let someone know where I am." He doesn't look convinced

I place my hand on his forearm. Even-though I'm not touching his skin, but his navy-blue sweater, I feel a spark going through my hand. "She won't tell anyone." He looks at my hand and then back at me. "Okay." His expression still wary.

I can feel a blush creeping up my cheeks so I go back and sit on the stool. "I'm not that old." He chuckles.

The food is nice. He kept looking when I put something in my mouth, to gauge whether I liked it. "So what are you going to do?" He asks. I swallow a piece of fish. He was right: It is pretty good. "After school, I mean." I quickly wipe my mouth. "I'm trying to get to New York and study there."

"Why? What do you wanna study?" He seems genuinely interested. "I'm not sure." I say leaning back. I'm full. "It's either English lit or publishing."

"Then why New York? You can follow both at Emerson college in Boston." He looks me in the eye as he takes another sip of his wine. "Because New York is far away and at the same time close enough. It gives my Dad the impression that I'm just a call away." White wine makes me honest.

The reason why I don't like talking talking about my dad is that it always leaves a certain kind of silence hanging in the air. "So." I say as I hop out of my chair. "D'you mind if I look around ?" He stands as well, throwing his napkin onto the table. "No go ahead."

I decide to look through the living room. I take my wine-glass into one hand and let the other trace the spines of the books lining the walls. He leans against one of the couches as I inspect bookcase after bookcase. There are picture frames on some of the shelves, but I decide not to look. It would be too invasive.

My eye then falls on a huge frame hung on the other side of the room. Hypnotized I walk towards it. It is a very old map. There are delicate golden details along the edges. "You like it?" Killian asks as he comes to stand next to me. "It is gorgeous. Where'd you get it?" I say leaning in closer to see the small writing along the edges.

"My parents gave to me for my birthday a few years ago." I look up at him as he stares lovingly at the map. "It's a bit of an inside joke in our family." He looks at me smiling broadly. "When I was little I wanted to be a pirate." I laugh at that. The idea of a tiny version of Killian running around with eye-patches and fake hooks is just too cute.

"So they gave it to me as a present." He is laughing as well now.

We stand sipping wine and looking at the map. I can feel his eyes on me. I turn to meet them. I look at the clock behind his head. Time has flown by! It's already ten a'clock. "You need help with the dishes?" I ask as I walk back to the kitchen and I begin bringing our plates to the kitchen sink.

"That'd be great." He says as he walks over to a phone speaker system. Smooth by Carlos Santana starts playing. I can't help, but giggle. "What?" He asks with half a smile on his face. "Nothing." I say shaking my head with a ghost of a smile on my face. "Great wash-up song choice." He gives me a playful nudge with his shoulder.

He scrubs and I dry. We fall into a comfortable pattern as we sing along. He even does the guitar solo which is incredibly hilarious. Absentmindedly I let my hips sway.

"Do you have a job?" Killian asks as he hands me the last wine-glass. "I do." I feel uncomfortably comfortable around him. It creeps me out. "I actually had a job-interview this morning." He arches a brow. "And how did it go?"

"I got the job." I say as I put down one of the glasses. "That's great!" He beams. "Yes, it's nice." I say. "I'm actually working for Mister Gold's son, which sort of strange." I say cocking my head to the side.

"Adam has a son?" He sounds just as surprised as I was. "Apparently he does." I say shrugging. "I thought he would be more open with you know… his colleagues." Killian chuckles. "It seems that he isn't. He is a bit of a loner."

This is making me think about someone else. Before I can stop myself the question leaves my mouth. "How about you? I've seen that you and Miss Swan get along." I try to make it sound casual, but it sounds like everything but.

"Emma? She's great. It is nice to have someone around my age." I hadn't thought about it that way. We stand there in silence not looking at each other.

I walk around him and take my coat and bag from the couch. He is already at the door. I put on my coat. "Thanks for dinner." I say. "It was lovely." The hallway is quite small. His eyes shine in the yellow light. "Thanks for coming. I had a great time." He says as he opens the door. "Me too." I smile up at him. "See you on Monday."

I should go outside now, but I don't move. The cocoon is back, but now I realise that it aren't words that are going to spill. It are actions.

I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him on the mouth with all the feelings I've been holding in for the last month. He doesn't hesitate to kiss me back. He slams the door and pulls me closer.

He pushes me against the wall. One hand is tracing his arm while the other is knotted in his hair. He growls as I pull it. I shrug my coat back of. His hands find their way around my waist. I let my hand move to his chest feeling the hard planes beneath my fingertips.

He lets his hand slide to my thigh and hooks my leg over his hip. He grinds his hips into mine and I let out a small moan which he catches with his tongue. I can feel how hard he is through his pants. I let my hands leave him and I start unbuttoning my blouse he pulls away and looks at me as we both pant. I let my blouse drop to the floor.

His eyes grow wide and he kisses me again. I fist my hands into his hair as he kisses his way down my neck and squeezes my breast with his large hand. I lift his head and make him kiss me again. I'm feeling dizzy and it is amazing. "What the fuck are we doing?" He breathes against my lips. He is sexy when he swears.

"What do you think we're doing?" I answer as I pull his sweater over his head. I let my hands go down his lower abdomen to his belt buckle, but his hands stop mine. He pins my hands on either side of my head and the dips his head to nibble and suck at the swell of my breast. He comes back up to kiss. He lets go of my arms and I wrap them around his neck.

He lets his hands go down to my ass as he grinds his erection into me again. I moan again this time he can't catch it. He growls and then lifts me of the ground. I wrap my legs around him. He carries me to the foot of the stairs without breaking our kiss.

When he puts me down I take his hand and lead him up the stairs. I push him against the wall and kiss him quickly on the landing and then pull him up again up the rest of the stairs, into his bedroom. The room is dark except for the light coming from what seems to be the bathroom. We stand there for a second all jagged breaths while we hold hands. I look up at him and I can see his clouded eyes glistening in the dark. He cups my cheek and leans down and kisses me slowly and fervently.

He pushes me until the back of my knees hit the bed. I lower us onto it. He sits up looking down at me. "You are so beautiful" He whispers as he kisses the swell of my breasts. I reach around and unclasp my bra and take it of. His breath hitches as he looks at me. I have a feeling he is about to back out of this, when he takes one into his mouth. I gasp as he rolls his tongue over my hardened nipple and massages the other.

I feel the hand that was on my breast slowly slide down my side. He hikes up my skirt and pushes my panties aside. I let out another moan. He chuckles around my breast. He then comes up and kisses me on the lips as he traces circles on my clit. I can't think. I can only feel his fingers. He then takes my other breast into his mouth. I think I can't handle any more, when he thrusts his fingers inside me. "Killian." I moan. It feels so good. I'm about to come. I can feel it building.

But then he stops.

He smiles, my vision is hazy. As he reaches over into his night stand I take of my panties and my skirt. I start touching myself as he takes out a condom. "Fuck!" he groans as he kisses me harshly. I let my wet fingers reach for his belt again and this time he doesn't stop me. I flip us over and straddle him. He watches me, his chest heaving as I kiss my way down his abdomen to his boxers. His erection is obvious against his strong thigh. I kiss him through the fabric of his underwear. He throws his head back and groans as I take him out of his boxers. I lick my lips as I look at his impressive length. He flips us over again and rolls on the condom.

I look up at him through my lashes. "You sure?" he asks as he positions himself at my entrance. In response I thrust my my hips onto him. "Fuck, you're tight!" He groans as he grips onto my ass. My nails are digging into his back. We start moving slowly at first, but our movements start getting more and more frantic.

We can't say anything. The only words leaving our mouths are curses and each other's names. It's building again, but this time there is no walking back from it. "Killian...Killian..." I say as I'm pushed over the edge. Sparks light up in front of my closed eyes. "Belle! Fuck!" He groans as his thrusting slows down and the he collapses onto me.

We don't move. We are all sweat and hard breaths. He finally slips out of me. As he takes of the condom I walk to the bathroom. My legs are wobbly and my crotch aches. I close the door behind me.

I lean my arms on the sink as I look at my reflection in the mirror. My hair is a mess and my face is flushed. There is a hickey on my left breast. What do I do now? Do I stay or do I go? I decide I will get together my clothes and leave. This wasn't supposed to happen...

My worries disappear as I open the door. Killian is sitting on the bed looking at me. He looks me up and down and I can see he is hard again. "Fuck it." I whisper as I walk back over to the bed and kiss him.

 **Thank you for reading !**

 **A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited !**

 **I can't believe how long this chapter turned out being! I'd like to apologize for the postponed update. I was on vacation and I lost sight of where I wanted the story to go. I also came up with a bunch of ideas for other Hook x Belle fics, but those will have to wait until I have finished this one :)**

 **Thank you all so much for your patience and 'till the next update xxx**


	9. Chapter 9

I am awake before I open my eyes. I feel my skin glowing hot everywhere. I feel how stiff my limbs are. My crotch hurts from friction. I feel Killian's chest rising and falling with every breath and I feel his heartbeat under my ear.

His room is bright with the light coming from the windows. The white sheets are mostly kicked aside. Our legs are tangled. I look up at his face. He looks relaxed. His hair is messed up. I realise that that is probably my fault.

I don't want to untangle myself from him. I'm happy in this little warm and bright cocoon we're in. He doesn't wake up when I go to the bathroom. My legs feel wobbly when I stand. I look into the mirror and have to try not to laugh at my reflection. Killian's messy hair has got nothing on mine. One side is lying flat against my flustered cheek while the other side has decided to tangle itself in as many ways as possible. Besides the hickey there is a fresh bruise on my hip from when he pulled me closer to him. It doesn't hurt or make me feel uncomfortable like the faded bruises in my neck do. I think it looks sexy.

I see the reflection of the shower behind me in the mirror. I turn it on and hope that the sound of the water won't wake Killian. The warmth eases the tightness out of my limbs. Only now do I process what happened. _I had sex with my English teacher... Shit._

I wonder what he is going to say when he wakes. Is he going to be a dick about it? My muscles tense again. No matter his reaction: Monday is going to be the awkwardest day in my short and suddenly eventful life.

I get out of the shower and grab a random towel. I comb my fingers through my hair, which dripping onto the white tiles.

I realise that my clothes are strewn over different places all across the house. A light blue button up shirt is hanging behind the bathroom door. It is quite huge on me, but it fits and it is better than running around in a towel while I search for my belongings.

I slowly open the door to the bathroom, trying not to wake him. He is already up. He looks at me from where he is sitting upright against the wall. My breath hitches in my throat. It was too dark yesterday to appreciate his muscles ripple under the hair trailing his abdomen down to where I know his impressive length is sitting.

"I'd thought you had left." His voice is hoarse as he looks me up and down. "Do you want me to?" I lean my head against the doorframe. He looks straight into my eyes as he furrows his brow. "No".

 **Okay so this is the shortest and shittiest update ever. I know. I have no excuse as to why I haven't updated in awhile. I have lost touch with this story and find it unfair not to update or not to let you know what is going on. As I mentioned before I have other ideas for HxB fics that I'd rather work out than this one. I will update and come back to this story when my need to write the other stories has faded a bit.**

 **Sorry and thanks to everyone who reviews, favorites and follows… xxx**


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